asked the Minister for Justice the estimated number of charities in Ireland; and their estimated annual income.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Number and Income of Charities.
5.
In response to a question put down for answer by the Deputy on 19 April 1988 (Vol. 379, No. 6, col. 1177 to 1181) I indicated that my responsibility in relation to charities is a very limited one. It does not relate to the number of charities in the country or to their annual income. Accordingly, I am not in a position to supply the information requested by the Deputy.
Would the Minister agree that there is a need to keep a register of charities and that there should be an annual report as to the income of each of these charities?
I am sure the Deputy appreciates that when replying to supplementary questions on 19 April last I said I would be making recommendations to the Government when I had a chance to study the position with regard to this whole area. The matter is still being considered by my Department. I said to Deputy O'Keeffe — this can be found in the Official Report in the volume I mentioned — that there are a number of other ministries involved and the functions are spread over those ministries. It is my view, as it is the view of Deputy O'Keeffe and was the view of the previous Government, that the matter seriously merits study and analysis with a view to seeing if the whole matter can be put on the right road.
Do the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests not come under the ambit of the Minister's Department and do they not have at least some of the information sought in the question?
There was a very full debate on this when the matter was raised by Deputy O'Keeffe on 19 April. At that time I outlined my responsibilities in relation to charities. I will just say briefly — I hope I am not wasting the time of the House — in an effort to give the Deputy the information he is looking for, that my responsibility in relation to charities is confined to three areas: the Charities Acts, 1961 and 1973, which provide for the jurisdiction and powers of the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests in relation to charitable trusts; the Street and House to House Collections Act, 1962, which provides for the issue of Garda permits to take up collections in specified areas and the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956, sections 27 and 28 of which provide for the issue of Garda permits and court licences respectively to hold lotteries and only lotteries held under court licences under section 28 are required to be for a charitable or philanthropic purpose. That is my area of responsibility. There are a number of other Departments who also have responsibility in this area such as the Department of Social Welfare, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance. I told Deputy O'Keeffe I am having the matter examined with a view to seeing what would emerge by way of recommendations to the Government.